21 things every teacher should try:​Attend a TeachMeet.

As the ‘OrrSome’ Rachel Orr once said - "You don't need shiny tech to be a globally connected educator. Many ways are free or at little cost.".

TeachMeets are a great place for inspiration as well as meeting like minded educators - "You can’t beat a good face to face chat with someone after a TeachMeet".

What is a TeachMeet

According to Wikipedia: “A TeachMeet is an organised but informal meeting (in the style of an unconference) for teachers to share good practice, practical innovations and personal insights in teaching with technology. These events are often organised to coincide with other educational events like the Scottish Learning Festival and the British Educational Technology and Training Show BETT.

Participants volunteer (via the TeachMeet website) to demonstrate good practice they've delivered over the past year, or discuss a product that enhances classroom practice.

I enjoy TeachMeets. Simply - An explosion of enthusiasm met with practical pedagogy. Lots of ideas can be gathered in short bursts from your peers. The style of the TMs also then allow you to go back and speak to the people at later dates for further information/clarification. - Jonathan Bailey (@Jon_M_Bailey)

How to find a TeachMeet (Crib sheet)

Attending a TeachMeet

You don’t have to present to get the most out of a TeachMeet. Lurking in the audience is perfectly acceptable (and encouraged). Not only do TeachMeets provide free CPD (and the occasional free supper), they also provide a great opportunity to network with other educators and share best practice. For me, the best part about TeachMeets is being able to meet with other educators face-to-face – even if it’s just to say hi! The other major benefit of TeachMeets is that, in general, all the presentations are from practicing teachers with actual experience of using their ideas in the classroom.

Finding a TeachMeet in your area:

The best way to find out if a TeachMeet is going on in your local area is to visit the official TeachMeet wiki: http://teachmeet.pbworks.com/w/page/19975349/FrontPage. You can also search for TeachMeets in your area via EventBrite. The great thing about EventBrite is that you can filter out events by location and date:

EventBrite is a great place to find TeachMeets in your area!

You will also find many TeachMeets advertised on Social Media such as Facebook & Twitter.

Tips:

1. Search using the #TeachMeet hashtag on Twitter:

The #TeachMeet hashtag on Twitter is another great way to find TeachMeets in your area!